The Lease of Nature
by psychicbunny
Summary: Sakura and Sasuke's life through the eyes of their children. [written in stream of conciousness]


_DISCLAIMER: _I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated with the franchise in any way.

_The Lease of Nature_

**Fire**

"Koji, sit still!" Ai ordered as she hastily undressed me. I shivered when a breeze came through the open window. "Hikaru, help me get Koji dressed!" Ai hollered as she walked around me and flung the closet doors open. "Where did I put your…ah hah! Here it is!" she exclaimed. She pulled a dark waterfall out. "But where is your obi…don't tell me you lost it again…" I sat in a chair, and I looked at my legs as I kicked them back and forth. "Koji, stop that. Stand up, now," Ai said as she began to surround me with the dark waterfall. "Onee-chan has to get you dressed for our visit to the shrine," she explained before pulling the dark waterfall away and clutching it in her hands. Her knuckles were white. "Koji, GET UP." My breathing quickened. When I didn't stand up, Hikaru grabbed me from behind and I was lifted up into the air. I began to cry. Ai slapped Hikaru's hands away. "Hikaru, you know better than to do that!" she yelled. I cried harder. "Shhh…shhh…" Ai cooed. "Hush now….onee-chan's sorry that Hikaru grabbed you like that."

The door opened and light came in. "Ai, what's this racket that's going on?" Mama asked. "Did you get Koji dressed?"

"No, Mama," Ai replied. "Koji isn't cooperating."

Mama sighed as she took the dark waterfall from Ai and came towards me. She hugged me. Mama smelled like lilies, like the ones in the garden outside. "Koji, it's okay…Mama's here," she whispered to me. She smelled like lilies. "Be a good boy and get dressed…we're going to the shrine," she told me. I stopped crying.

"Good boy," Mama said as she ruffled my hair. "Now, stick your arms out to the side…good boy," Mama said as she slipped the dark waterfall onto me. "Where's his obi?" she asked. "I couldn't find it," Ai replied. Mama nodded her head and tied a sash around my waist. I could breathe easily. "Now come with Mama."

I grabbed her outstretched hand and followed her. Ai was behind us, muttering something to Hikaru before shutting the door as we left the room. I could see Sasuke ahead of us, waiting for us underneath the trees. He was scowling again. With the night on him, he looked like the dark shadows.

_the dark shadows surrounded us come with us quietly they said and we wont hurt you Mama continued to scream I will not go back with you she screamed I wont I wont I wont Papa stepped out from the dark shadows Sakura he growled be a good little girl and come back with the children youre never leaving here I wont let you control me and I will get out of here she screamed no matter how long it takes _

"What took you so long?" he asked. "You told me to be ready by ten, and it's eleven already."

_Sakura continue to struggle and I wont be so lenient on you Papa warned I dont care Im getting out of here she screamed youve already ruined everything you forced me here I will get out of here I thought you wanted to spend your life with me Papa said that was before everything happened Mama screamed Papas lips were in a thin line as he listened to her scream _

Mama's lips were in a thin line. She stood up straight and looked Sasuke in the eye. "Sasuke," she said in a low tone, "behave and come with me and your sister and brother to the shrine."

A scowl covered Sasuke's face as he shoved his hands back into his pockets. "Why do we still go to the shrine to pray? Papa and Uncle can't hurt you anymore."

_We go to pray for our ancestors, Papa said. He continued and said that if we prayed to our ancestors, they would smile upon us and help protect us. But they're not even here, Sasuke noted. Papa smiled as he patted Sasuke's head. That's why we call them ancestors. _

I could hear Ai grunting and feel her grip on me tightening as she hoisted me up into the air. "You're getting big and heavy," she whispered into my ear. "You're growing up."

Papa must've heard Ai grunting because he looked away from Koji and looked at me and Ai. "Ai, you should stop carrying Koji around. He's a big baby now," Papa noted, "far too heavy for you to be carrying around."

"No, I can carry him," Ai said proudly from behind me. "I'm strong, especially after all of the new training." Papa frowned at this.

I heard Mama walk up from behind. "Here, Ai, let me carry Koji for a while," Mama said, and Ai hesitated but then lifted me up into the air and the light grabbed me. The wind whispered into my ear. She smelled like lilies. Papa watched and Koji watched Papa. "Sakura, you shouldn't carry Koji either. He can walk and carrying him is bad for your back."

Mama sighed. "I'll be fine, dear. We should get to the shrine."

Sasuke squinted as he looked towards the light. "I think I hear the bells." The bells tolled, their dark sounds ringing through the village. Papa sighed. "We're late."

The four of us walked up towards the shrine, Sasuke walking ahead of me and Mama. Ahead of us, on the path leading to the shrine was Uncle Naru. "Sorry we're late," Mama said to the man. Sasuke snorted. "Sasuke, be polite," Mama whispered. I began to cry. Uncle Naru came towards me and hugged me. "It's okay, Koji, it's just me," he said in that loud and jovial voice of his. "And I have a present for you." He pulled out a can. "Instant Ramen just add hot water" it read on the top. I stopped crying. He smelled like the earth.

Mama shook her head. "Naruto, don't you dare pass your eating habits onto my children," she admonished. "Don't worry Mama, Uncle Naru's fed us plenty of vegetables and fruits when he's babysat us," Ai chirped. Sasuke snorted and muttered something under his breath. "What you're problem?" Ai asked as she glared at him. "Can't you try to be happy for once?"

_why arent you happy Papa asked Mama youre living your childhood dream childhood dream Mama repeated my childhood dream is not my dream now dont you understand things have changed she screamed I began to cry their heads snapped towards me Mama got up and pulled the door open Koji she said what are you doing here you should be in bed she pulled me up and hugged me but I only cried harder her smell burned my nose lilies lilies lilies what happened to the lilies why were their scratches Ai and Sasuke came out whats going on they asked nothing Mama said go back to bed their feet pitter pattered on the shining surface the doors closed you cant keep me here much longer Sasuke Mama said you cant keep me here but this is what you always wanted its what I wanted when I was little you were happy at our wedding that was not a wedding it was my wake_

Uncle came out of the shrine as we reached the front steps. "Sasuke, Sakura," he said in a slithery voice, "you got here just in time. We were about to start the ceremony."

Mama set me onto the ground. My feet wobbled for a couple seconds before I steadied myself. Ai grabbed my hand and led me into the shrine, occasionally helping me up the steps and through the doorway. Sasuke had already gone ahead of us, and I couldn't see him through the throngs of people. Mama and Papa were behind me and Ai, and Uncle closed the door behind them.

It was crowded and hot. Hot hot hot hot I was burning up. I grabbed onto Ai's hand tightly. There were two people in the center. They kept rushing at each other while making loud noises and weird movements. There was red everywhere. The smell burned my nose. I began to cry.

"Hush, Koji, hush. You hush now," Papa whispered into my ear. "Calm down," he ordered as he pressed my face into his chest. I stopped crying. The sounds died.

_Bang bang bang The sounds woke me up I woke up and I saw Mama I looked into her eyes and I began to cry her eyes her eyes she smelled like lilies and something else Sakura Papa growled from the doorway let go of Koji and come here be a good little bitch and come here No no no no Mama screamed Papa came over and dragged her away I cried harder No No No No Uncle came into the room NO NO NO NO Quiet little one he whispered quiet quiet_

I stared at all the stars above me. They shined brightly and I reached up to grab them but I couldn't. Uncle laughed. "Koji-kun, you won't be able to grab them," he whispered. His voice was silky and slithery. "They're way, way up high."

"Why are they way, way up high?"

"Because they are the souls of our ancestors, watching over us and protecting us," Uncle said. "They watch us from above. See how they twinkle? They're laughing right now as they watch us. They are happy that we are happy."

"Oh."

Uncle tightened his arms around me. He smelled like grass. "Isn't this paradise, Koji? Isn't this a perfect world that we have around us?"

"What's paradise?"

Uncle laughed. _He laughed he laughed he laughed. _I can see my paradise now _Paradise is where we are happiest. _My paradise is with you _I am the happiest I have ever been here._ I love you _Are you happy?_ If you love me then why do you force me to stay here _I know things with your parents have been a little rough, _I want to go home _What do you mean by that, Uncle?_ This is your home_ Uncle smiled. Nevermind, you're too young to understand._ no this is not my home home is where the heart is and my heart is not here _Understand what, Uncle?_

Mama and the man with the black mask were in the garden. They came together for a moment and then came apart. Mama was whispering to the man before she started looking around. "Kakashi, I should leave…the children are probably wondering where I am." He whispered something into her ear. She laughed and shook her head. I shrunk behind the wall when she looked in my direction. "Kakashi, I wish I could stay here longer, but I can't risk having the children see us two together." Suddenly, her back stiffened, and her head whipped towards my direction. "Koji, come here," she told me.

I walked towards her and the strange man. "Kakashi, I have to go now," she whispered. I began to sniffle. "Why?" the man asked. "He won't tell Ai or Sasuke…he probably doesn't even understand."

"No, he understands, Kakashi," Mama argued. "He's smart—"

"And he's only five, for Chrissake, Sakura. No five-year old would understand," the man replied. He turned his gaze down to me. "How are ya, little fella?" he asked.

"Kakashi, not now," Mama said again. "He may be young, but he is an Uchiha prodigy. Even if he does not completely understand, Sasuke and Ai will piece together his descriptions and they will figure everything out."

The man sighed. "Why are you so afraid of them finding out about us?" he asked Mama.

"They are not ready yet, Kakashi. It is still too soon for them," she replied before picking me up. "I'll see you soon," she told him, squeezing his dark hand.

_dark hands dark hands the dark hands reached towards me and grabbed me_

_I wont go back I wont go back_

_Yes you will you will come back to us_

_let me go why are you doing this_

_you love me dont you youll do this for me_

_what have you become_

_Ive always been the same_

_what happened to him_

_dark hands grabbed me_

_shoving pulling squeezing pushing _

_let go let go freedom freedom freedom_

_why do you struggle I didnt do anything wrong I didnt I didnt did I_

_my wedding was my wake _

It was bright. The dark shapes didn't cover me, and I woke up. Shining snow covered everything. Mama was in the kitchen where the flames kept the room warm. Papa was outside with Ai and Sasuke.

The soft thuds of the knife filled the kitchen as Mama sliced the vegetables. She was surrounded by white, orange, red, green. Mama was humming when she looked at me. "Did you have a good nap, Koji-kun?" she asked.

"Hai," I replied. I watched her curiously as she continued to chop.

"Mama's preparing for a feast tonight. Uncle's coming over too," she explained as she wiped her hands. "And Uncle will be bringing you lots and lots of gifts."

"Candy?" I asked.

Mama laughed, and Papa and Ai and Sasuke came in. "Hey, little guy, all ready to go?" Papa asked as he came towards me. I soared through the air. "We're going to have a big party tonight."

Sasuke scowled. "Why are we even bothering with this?" he asked. "What's the point?"

Mama's laughter stopped. I looked into her eyes and I started to cry. Ai ran over and hugged me. "Hush, now, Koji. You hush," she whispered. Papa stared at Sasuke. "To your room, young man," Papa ordered. Mama began to cry. I cried louder.

"Sakura, stop crying…everything's going to be all right," Papa said, but Mama's screams cut him off.

_she screamed she laughed she screamed she laughed_ Mama was laughing with the man. He smelled like forests. Ai was smiling too. Everybody was smiling except for Sasuke.

The man patted my head. "You like your Christmas gift, eh little guy?"

Ai smiled at the man. "Thank you, Kakashi-san, for your gifts. Koji adores the figurines you gave him."

The man laughed, his black mask moving. "Well, it's a good thing he likes them." He looked at me. "You know how much time a spent carving them for you, Koji-kun?" He pulled me into his lap, and Mama watched the two of us with a look in her eyes. "I thought about you, little guy, when I was in Sand. I thought to myself, 'I really miss Koji-kun, Ai-chan, Sasuke-kun, and your Mama."

Ai and Mama smiled. Sasuke left the room.

_the dark shadows moved back and forth the bright light in my eyes the swords clashing outside bright bright red on the white white snow cold so cold but fire burning burning warm so warm they were laughing Mama was laughing she wasnt crying everybody was there they were laughing I felt safe happy warm Mama was smiling then Sasuke was there he said something she stopped smiling why did you have to do that Ai cried_

I cried. Mama and Papa came into my room. "What wrong?" Mama asked.

"Blood, blood everywhere," I told her. Papa shook his head.

"It was just a nightmare," he told me. _youve been asleep go back to sleep youll be fine well still be here youve just been asleep the stars are still here go back to sleep little one_


End file.
